Web-only letters to the editor, Nov. 30, 2011

Wednesday

Dispatch.com regularly will post letters to the editor that don't make it to print in The Dispatch. Unlike letters to the editor that appear the newspaper, Web-only letters have not been edited.

Dispatch.com regularly will post letters to the editor that don't make it to print in The Dispatch. Unlike letters to the editor that appear the newspaper, Web-only letters have not been edited.

For the children

I am writing today to express support for letter writer Sue Jones ( Dispatch Nov. 29th, "Board member needs dose of compassion"). She supports taxpayer funding for school lunch freeloaders because" It's hard to learn on an empty stomach". I feel that she didn't go far enough. I don't think a child should feel insecure, inferior, and "unable to learn" because they don't have nice clothes, new shoes, and a stylish warm coat with matching gloves, scarfs and hats. They might also feel inferior if they don't have a nice haircut, or proper make-up. Taxpayers should also supply umbrellas and snow boots, because it's also hard to learn if your clothes or shoes are wet. Since our property taxes are way too low anyway, I'm sure taxpayers won't mind footing the bill for all of these things and more, because after all, "we need to take the children into consideration", and show some compassion.

Louis M. Spiezio, Lewis Center

College athletics

Dr. E Gordon Gee missed a perfect opportunity to stand up to the rapacity of college athletics. I'm sure Urban Meyer is an excellent coach that will bring the Buckeyes up to the winning standards Columbus has come to expect. Is that really worth the ten million dollars (est) annually the coaching staff will now require? And who will pay for this? Soon ticket prices for the average fan will be $100.

At Vanderbilt Gee melded the athletic department into the Division of Student Life, yet at tOSU he quipped about being fired by the football coach.

Paying that kind of money for a coach is only going to exacerbate the problems that exist in college athletics. Expectations soar, rules get broken, crimes become discretions that get overlooked. It needs to stop and Gee has missed the opportunity to begin the process and establish Ohio State as a shining example of bringing common sense to college athletics.

Joe Obergfell, Columbus

Woods' salary

I am responding to the writer who expressed surprised at how low the salary was for OSU March Band Director John Woods before his coming retirement. I am in agreement, especially given the countless number of people that Mr. Woods, and the OSU Marching Band have touched in some kind of way, and all the young musicians who have been positively affected for so many years by him and the program. Welcome to the world of undervalued musicians! In a time when athletes and coaches are being given more and more dollars and whose value of presence is so over the top, I offer that musicians and music educators have something positive to offer the world. Music is not just entertainment; it motivates, it rewards the spirit, it disciplines, it humanizes, and it inspires amazing creativity, when it is quality. I too hope Mr. Woods get a huge bonus. And I hope people will consider musicians-real musicians-as role models for themselves and their children.

Michael Cox, Berwick

Career politicians

It should be obvious to all that our U.S. Congress is officially dysfunctional. It is time to ratchet up the “throw all the bums out” campaign. I suggest the first senator or representative to introduce the following bill will leave a legacy of a true statesman. Item #1 Term Limits- All elected senators will serve a maximum of 2 terms (12 years). All elected representatives will serve a maximum of 6 terms (12 years). Item #2 – Special Rules – There will be NO SPECIAL RULES for any elected senator or representative. This applies to health care, pensions, insider trading, and any and all other provisions of life. All elected senators and representatives will live by the same rules that the rest of the citizens live by. This applies during and after their service to their country. Of course, all existing senators and representatives would have to be grandfathered in for this to have a snowballs chance in hell to pass. These 2 rules should greatly decrease the corruption in Congress and, who knows, could go a long way in fostering cooperation between the ideologues. I also believe we will get better representatives of the people, because most career politicians have one thing first and foremost in their hearts, and that is their career.

Tony Owen, Westerville

Unions' rights

Regarding the SB 5 defeat, I can't collective bargain why should unions have that right? What's so special about unions that they deserve rights the rest of us don't have? Our military personnel don't have a right to collective bargaining. Plumbers, surveyors, scientists, retail salespeople, insurance agents, etc.- none of them are granted the right to collective bargaining so someone please tell me what's so special about unions!

Bill Somers, Worthington

Middle East

I wish The Dispatch would publish an article or two about the various offers of statehood that Palestinians have been given since 1948, the quality of life Arabs have as citizens of Israel (voting rights, members of the Knesset), and the fact that an Israeli passport stamp will deny you entry into most Arab countries in the Middle East. Perhaps then we would not be subjected to articles such as that written by Barbara E. Doll who ludicrously thinks that giving Palestinians their own state will “bring peace to the area.” How naďve! All one need do is read the history of Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and the subsequent bombardment against Israel by Hamas to understand that peace will not come to the area based on Israeli acquiescence. “Peace” will come only after the total eradication of Jews, a situation fervently desired by those peace loving Arabs Doll is so protective of.

Robert Cooperman, Dublin

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